Video: Terrifying moment two men are sprung from prison van as ten are convicted for part in plot

The prison van was attacked with an axe, sledgehammer and double barrelled shotgun on Regent Road, Salford, as Ryan MacDonald, 21, and Stevie McMullen, 32, were taken to Manchester Crown Court from HMP Altcourse.

CCTV still of attack on prison van in Regent Road, Salford in which Ryan McDonald and Stevie McMullen escaped

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This is the terrifying moment a gang attacked a prison van in broad daylight to free two prisoners.

The prison van was attacked with an axe, sledgehammer and double barrelled shotgun on Regent Road, Salford, as Ryan MacDonald, 21, and Stevie McMullen, 32, were taken to Manchester Crown Court from HMP Altcourse.

Now a group of 10 men have been convicted of either taking part in, or plotting to, free two robbers from a prison a van.

The van was taking McMullen to appear in relation to charges of conspiracy to rob at 9am on Tuesday, April 30 last year. MacDonald was due to be sentenced for unconnected offences of conspiracy to commit robbery.

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As the van was travelling through Salford a car containing Nathan Chapman, Anthony Smith, Matthew Patrick McGivern and a fourth as yet unidentified person approached.

The gang got out and smashed the driver’s window of the van with the axe before the driver was threatened with the shotgun and hit about the head.

They forced the release of McMullen and MacDonald and then drove a short distance along Regent Road before abandoning the car.

MacDonald escaped on the back of a motorbike driven by another man. They left the bike outside Status Car Hire on Furlow Street, Salford and were later captured on CCTV.

The rest of the gang ran off through the Ordsall estate, discarding various items as they fled, including an axe that was thrown into the garden of a house on West Crown Avenue.

An immediate investigation and manhunt was launched and it was established that Marcus Hill, 28, of Chedworth Crescent, Little Hulton and Michael Crossley, 26, of Bradford Road, Farnworth had assisted McMullen while he was on the run by driving him from Bolton to Lancaster.

Michael Morrison, 18, Adelphi Court, Salford and Stephen Wilson, 18, of Rosamund Drive, Salford were found to have purchased a sledgehammer that was found in the car after it was recovered.

Investigating detectives were able to establish that the sledgehammer was only sold in Clas Ohlson stores. The store at Arndale was visited and the pair were identified on CCTV. Morrison’s fingerprint was also found on the bag that contained the sledgehammer.

Mavis Chapman, 64, of West Crown Ave, Ordsall who is Nathan Chapman’s grandmother attempted to hide the axe that was discarded when the gang ran off through the Ordsall estate.

It was found concealed in a neighbour’s wheelie bin beneath other items.

Karla Withers, 29, of St Joseph’s Drive, Ordsall had her home used by the gang just before the attack on the prison van.

The group are listed for sentencing on April 28 to 29.

See all those convicted in this gallery and see below for the full list of convictions:

MacDonald and McMullen, both of no fixed address, admitted to conspiring to escape from lawful custody. They were also found guilty of conspiracy to possess an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence

Karla Withers was found guilty of conspiring to escape from lawful custody following a trial. She also pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition without a firearm certificate.

Nathan Chapman of Mulberry Court, Pendleton and Anthony Smith of no fixed address, both admitted conspiracy to escape from lawful custody and conspiracy to possess an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Matthew Patrick McGivern of Red Moss Row, Agecroft was found guilty of conspiracy to escape from lawful custody.

Stephen Wilson, of Rosamund Drive, Salford, was found guilty of conspiracy to escape from lawful custody.

Mavis Chapman, of West Crown Ave, Ordsall, Salford, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice.

In addition, Ainsley MacDonald, was found guilty of intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an either way offence after it was established she had contacted Ryan McDonald on a contraband mobile phone while he was in prison.